Pentagon says an $8b accounting error allows more arms for Ukraine

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon said it will be able to spend US$6 billion (S$8 billion) more than originally expected on arms for Ukraine thanks to what it called accounting errors.

The Defence Department overstated the value of weapons sent from its stockpiles by US$2.6 billion in fiscal 2022 and US$3.6 billion in fiscal 2023, for a total of US$6.2 billion, deputy spokesman Sabrina Singh told reporters on Tuesday at the Pentagon. 

“It’s just going to go back into the pot of money that we have allocated” for Ukraine, she said, adding that it does not alter the total amount of support authorised by Congress.

Ms Singh attributed the error to “inconsistencies in equipment valuation”, with military services using “replacement cost” for equipment transferred to Ukraine rather than the “net book value”. Previous reports pegged the valuation difference in the US$3 billion range. 

The latest figures are “final”, Ms Singh said.

Although President Joe Biden has said consistently that the

US and its allies will back Ukraine against Russia’s invasion

for as long as needed, some Republican lawmakers have objected to the cost and indefinite timeline of security assistance.

With no end in sight for the war, the administration faces the prospect of seeking additional money over such opposition once current funding runs out. BLOOMBERG